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Berent, Bertorelli, Wahlbrink are the 4A-1A Broward Softball Players of the Year
A dominant pitcher has always been the biggest building block for a successful softball team.
Coral Springs Charter had two this season in senior Sophia Bertorelli and sophomore Courtney Wahlbrink.
And over at Cardinal Gibbons, junior Lydia Berent is becoming one of the most dominant pitchers and players overall in recent memory in Broward County, which earned her a scholarship offer at one of the country's most prestigious programs.
After dominant performances once again this past season, Bertorelli and Wahlbrink are this year's Broward Co-Pitchers of the Year for Classes 4A-1A. And Berent is the Class 4A-1A Player of the Year.
Berent could have been named either award winner after going 20-6 this season, striking out a county-high 243 batters, and compiling a 1.11 ERA. She also hit .500 with three home runs, 11 doubles and scored 39 runs.
Her efforts led Gibbons to its first 20-win season in over two decades, and she has been the centerpiece in the Chiefs' emergence as one of the county's best teams over the past three seasons.
'I just matured a whole lot mentally and physically from last year, and really learned how to lead,' Berent said. 'We had a young team so it was important to have some of us with extra experience. It's just trusting the amount of time I work and preparation I put in. We've never been as good as we are right now.'
Berent said she chose to attend Gibbons as her older brother did for academics as well as softball. She has attracted the interest of multiple Division-I schools over the past couple of years.
But when Stanford University came calling, Berent jumped at the chance and committed during a visit last winter. Berent has one more season to try to lead Gibbons to a state title. But after that, she hopes to study something in the engineering field while following in the footsteps of other South Florida softball greats such as former Southwest Miami star Missy Penna.
'I knew in my heart that's where I belong,' Berent said. 'It's an amazing program and a chance for an amazing education.'
Bertorelli is also heading to a college with a strong combination of academics and athletics this fall as she will pitch at Boston College.
She heads there after a resilient return from a shoulder injury her junior year. This season, Bertorelli went 11-2 with 122 strikeouts and a 1.23 ERA in 74 innings. Bertorelli said she worked on keeping her pitching mechanics consistent to avoid any further injury and felt like herself in the circle by midseason.
Bertorelli credited having Wahlbrink's support both on and off the field as a key reason for her success this season.
'It was difficult to come back, but having Courtney and our coaches supporting me helped,' Bertorelli said. 'I felt like I didn't have all the pressure on my shoulders.'
Meanwhile, Wahlbrink complemented her perfectly in the circle for Coral Springs Charter as she went 13-1 with 117 strikeouts and a 1.02 ERA in 75 1/3 innings.
Bertorelli's presence on the team again was a boost for Wahlbrink as well as she improved as a hitter, going .389 with 19 RBI. The two led the Panthers back to the Class 3A regional finals and kept Coral Springs Charter as one of the most dominant teams in the state.
'I was able to focus more on the hitting side and I think I was able to drive balls better to the opposite field than I did before,' Wahlbrink said. 'Me and Soph are really close and she's been like a role model to me forever. We both help each other on and off the field.
'The adversity she's faced and coming back from injury is tough. She came back with a strong mentality and became an even stronger pitcher.'
